City of Rockville to Honor Partnership that Helps People with Spinal Cord Injuries

Rockville, Md. - The Spinal Cord Consortium, which includes Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland, will be presented with the City of Rockville's F. Michael Taff Award during the city's 38th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration on Monday, January 18. The award will be presented by the City of Rockville Human Rights Commission at Richard Montgomery High School.

The Taff Award honors an individual, business or organization that has made a contribution to improving the lives of people in Rockville with disabilities. This contribution may include efforts to improve accessibility for people with disabilities, to raise public awareness of disability issues or in any way improving the lives of people with disabilities. The Award is named after F. Michael Taff, the former chair of the Rockville Human Rights Commission, who demonstrated a strong commitment to people with disabilities.

"This award will help raise awareness of the importance of improving the lives of patients with spinal cord injuries," said Doris B. Reinhart, Vice President and Administrator of Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland, part of Adventist HealthCare. "We are extremely honored to partner with The Spinal Cord Consortium and we also want to congratulate the other organizations who have been recognized for their vital work."

The Spinal Cord Consortium - Greater Metropolitan Washington Area is a group of healthcare providers with a particular interest in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) and individuals living with Spinal Cord Injury. The Consortium, formed in 2002, is dedicated to improving the lives of persons living with Spinal Cord Injury. Key members of the Consortium, who live, work or provide services to individuals in Rockville include Dr. Terrence Sheehan of Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital and Jesse Parker, a disability advocate and coach, of the Adventist Knights Wheelchair Basketball team.

The Consortium and Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital are both co-sponsors of the Adventist Knights Wheelchair Basketball team. The Knights currently have a Division III team in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA). This past fall the Knights held their fifth annual wheelchair basketball tournament.

The Commission sponsors the annual event to commemorate the works of Dr. King while celebrating and bringing together the diverse community of Rockville. This year's celebration will honor, what would have been, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 81st birthday.

Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland is the first and only acute rehabilitation hospital in Montgomery County. It offers comprehensive rehabilitation programs for traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, strokes, amputations, orthopedic injuries and surgeries, sports related injuries, work-related injuries, cardiopulmonary conditions and neurological disorders. Our Mission is to demonstrate God's care by improving the health of people and communities through a ministry of physical, mental and spiritual healing.

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